Process for improving fibrous materials



Patented Mar. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS FOR HHPROVING FIBROUS MATERIALS Germany No Drawing. Application May 21, 1930, Serial 13 Claims.

The present invention. relates to a process for improving fibrous materials.

. Many fibrous materials, especially artificial fibres have a small flexibility and softness which reduce their range of application, and even with materials which are already flexible and soft an increase in these properties is frequently desirable.

I have now found that an excellent softness and flexibility may be imparted to fibrous materials of all kinds, in particular artificial fibres and especially the different kinds of artificial silk, by treating them with aqueous solutions of sulphonic acids of aliphatic carboxylic acids of high molecular weight which term is meant to include the water-soluble salts of the same, or by incorporating them with the said sulphonic acids. The fibres treated in this manner are extremely soft and agreeable to the touch.

Suitable sulphonic acids are those of the following general structure wherein R is the hydrocarbon radical of a saturated aliphatic carboxylic acid of high molecular weight such as palmitic, stearic, lauric or myristic acids, or similar saturated acids as occur in fats or oils of vegetable or animal origin and in oxidation products of solid or liquid paraffin wax. The quantities of the sulphonic acids or their salts employed are usually from 1 per thousand to say 5 per cent of the aqueous solutions with which the fibres are treated and in most cases solutions of 0.2 to 1 per cent fulfill all requirements. Artificial fibres to be softened may be prepared by any process such as by the different processes of producing viscose silk, by the Chardonnet or 40 Pauly processes or by air spinning processes of nitrocellulose or cellulose carboxylates. In any case very good results are obtained and the fibres treated do not contain foreign matter, such as the oils hitherto employed for softening purposes, which must be removed subsequently from the fibres in most cases when the fibres are to be worked further. The process according to the present invention may be combined with other processes of improving fibrous materials in which the fibres are usually hardened or stiffened to some degree as for example in sizing and in many cases of dyeing; in these cases it is sufficient to add the quantities mentioned above of the sulphonic acids or their salts to the sizing or dyeing' liquors.

The treatment of the fibres is pref- In Germany May 30, 1929 erably carried out while warming to temperatures which, preferably, do not exceed the boiling point of the solutions.

The following examples will further illustrate the nature of this invention, but the invention is not restricted thereto.

Example 1 A dyeing vat for artificial silk from viscose is prepared from a 2 per cent aqueous solution of brilliant benzo green B 1.5 gram ofthe monosodium salt of the sulphonic acid of palmitic acid being added to each litre of the bath. After dyeing in the manner usually applied when dyeing with substantive dyestuffs, the silk is rinsed, centrifuged and dried. The artificial silk has a very soft and supple touch.

Example 3 A mixed fabric of cotton and artificial silk from cellulose acetate is treated for 20 minutes at from 50 to 55 C. with a solution of 5 grams of the salt of triethanol amine with the sulphonic acid of stearic acid in 1 litre of water whereupon theufabric is centrifuged and dried. The fabric is rendered much more supple than it was originally.

Ewample 4 Hanks of artificial silk are treated for a quarter of an hour at from 40 to 50 C. with a solution of 10 grams of glue or of soluble starch and 3 grams of the salt of-triethanol amine with the sulphonic acid of palmitic or stearic acid whereupon the hanks are centrifuged and dried. The artificial silk which becomes hard and brittle by a treatment with glue or starch solution is rendered elastic and supple by the addition of the sulphonic acid salt and possesses a high smoothness particularly advantageous on weaving the silk.

Example 5 Yarn for making stockings from mercerized cotton or a yarn spun from short fibres of artim ficial silk and'known in the trade under the name {Vistra is treated at about 40 C. for a quarter of an hour with an aqueous 0.1 per cent solution of the di-sodium salt of the sulphonic acid of palmitic acid, whereupon the yarn is centrifuged and dried. The smooth yarn obtained can be easily wound on bobbins and passes very smoothly through the weaving needles,'the passage of the yarn through a particular oiling device, which is necessary without the aforesaid treatment, being superfluous. The woven stockings possess a particularly soft touch.

What I claim is:

1. The process of rendering artificial silk soft and flexible which comprises treating the silk with an aqueous solution of a substance of the class consisting of compounds of the following general structure coon wherein R is the hydrocarbon radical of a saturated aliphatic carboxylic acid of high molecular weight, and the water soluble salts of said compounds.

t 2. The process of rendering artificial silk soft and flexible which comprises treating the said material with an aqueous solution comprising from 0.1 to 5 per cent strength of a sulphonic acid of the following general structure soan coon

wherein R is the hydrocarbon radical of a saturated aliphatic carboxylic acid of high molecular weight.

3. The process of rendering artificial silk soft and flexible which comprises treating the said material with an aqueous solution of from 0.2 to 1 per cent of a sulphonic acid of the following general structure coon wherein R is the hydrocarbon radical of a saturated aliphatic carboxylic acid of high molecular weight while warming.

5. The process of rendering artificial silk soft and flexible which comprises treating the said material with an aqueous solution comprising a sulphonic acid of the following general structure wherein R is the hydrocarbon radical of a saturated aliphatic carboxylic acid of an animal fat,

6. The process of rendering artificial silk soft and flexible which comprises treating the said material with an aqueous solution, of from MZ to 1 per cent strength, of a sulphonic acid of the following general structure B OzH coon wherein R is the hydrocarbon radical of palmitic 7 acid.

8. As a new article, soft artificial silk, the single fibres 'of which have a thin superficial coating comprising a substance of the class consisting of compounds of the following general structure wherein R. is the hydrocarbon radical of a saturated aliphatic carboxylic acid of high molecular weight, and the water soluble salts of said compounds.

, 9. As a new article of manufacture, soft artificial silk, the single fibres of which have a thin superficial coating comprising a sulphonic acid of the following general structure coon wherein R is the hydrocarbon radical of a saturated aliphatic carboxylic acid of high molecular weight.

, 10. As a new article of manufacture soft artificial silk, the single fibres of which have a thin superficial coating comprising a sulphonic acid of the following general structure soar wherein R. is the hydrocarbon radical of palmitic acid.

11. As a new article of manufacture, soft artificial silk, the single fibres of which have a thin superficial coating comprising a water soluble salt of a sulphonic acid of the following general structure coon wherein R is the hydrocarbon radical of a saturated carboxylic acid of an animal fat.

12. As a new article of manufacture, soft artificial silk, the single fibres of which have a thin superficial coating comprising a water-soluble 150 wherein R is the hydrocarbon radical of a carboxylic acid of an animal fat.

13. As a new article of manufacture, soft artificial silk, the single fibres of which have a thin superficial coating comprising a water-soluble salt of triethanol amine with a sulphonic acid of the following general structure wherein R is the hydrocarbon radical of palmitic acid.

CONRAD SCHOELLER. 

